How To Handle 50 Tons of Recyclable Waste

New Castle’s Waste Masters Solutions has Firefly covered.

Steve Masterson, 50

The challenge issued to Steve Masterson, Brian Simmons and the rest of New Castle’s Waste Masters Solutions: Take more than 50 tons of recyclable waste generated by the Firefly Music Festival and convert it to reusable product.

For the 5-year-old company, which prides itself on personalized service, extensive industry knowledge and strong environmental stewardship, it’s a challenge waiting to be tackled.

“We’re confident we can meet that,” says Masterson, Waste Masters’ co-founder, president and CEO. “We’re not your conventional removal company. We are a waste-reduction company.”

Reduction is a goal shared by the festival’s eco-conscious organizers, Red Frog Events. And if Masterson’s math is correct, his company can eliminate 25 tons of cardboard, 25 tons of paper and five tons of wood pallets—the equivalent of 450 mature trees.

“Red Frog is very interested in the environmental impact of this event,” says Masterson. “They’re a real young, progressive organization with progressive ideas, and we want to try to take this 85,000-person event for four days and see if we can minimize the carbon footprint.”

Gov. Jack Markell, during a 2013 ribbon-cutting ceremony, said, “This is the kind of company we envisioned growing as the result of our universal recycling law. It’s helping reduce our use of natural resources, creating jobs and spurring secondary markets for reused products. That carries economic benefits and helps reduce landfill costs in the short and long term.”